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How The Navy Tried To Turn Sharks into Torpedos (undark.org)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the sharkpedo dept.

Long-time Slashdot reader v3rgEz writes: Documents recently declassified show one of the odder experimental weapons developed after World War II: Weaponized sharks. Guided by sharp electric shocks, the sharks were trained to deliver explosive payloads -- essentially turning them into living, breathing, remote-controlled torpedoes that could be put to use in the Pacific Theater.
Following years of research on "shark repellent," the Navy spent 13 years building a special head gear for sharks which sensed the shark's direction and tried to deliver shocks if the sharks strayed off-course. The journalist who tracked down details of "Project Headgear" published the recently-declassified information on MIT's journalism site Undark, noting that "The shark wasn't so much a 'torpedo' as a suicide bomber... "

12 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. Has to be said... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sharkpedo?

  2. Inhuman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Using animals as suicide bombers. Inexcusable.

    1. Re: Inhuman by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The Soviets trained strapped antitank mines to dogs and trained them to run under German tanks. The mines had a trigger mechanism that would trip when they went under the tank. The story goes though that captured German tanks were in short supply so they had to use Soviet tanks when training the dogs. This led to unfortunate results in battle because the dogs would go towards Soviet tanks (which used and smelled of diesel) than German tanks (gas).

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      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    2. Re:Inhuman by Calydor · · Score: 2

      At least in the case of cavalry the human involved faces equal risk - this is akin to drone assassinations carried out by some guy sitting in complete safety in a room with air condition while sipping a drink.

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      -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
  3. Why didn't they use lawyers instead? by sehlat · · Score: 2

    Might have been simpler and result in less guilt over harming innocent sharks.

  4. Re:Sharks don't breathe by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

    "Ventilation" or "Breathing". Both are correct. "Respiration" also works, although that actually describes a more complicated process.

    I remember having this discussion late on a Saturday night in a beer session back in my university days.

    The biology major told us that gills work by "exchanging gasses."

    What a terrible waste of beer, as we all spit it out or laughed it out our noses.

    At any rate, we got a lot of mileage out of that one, as we would say stuff like, "Has someone been exchanging gasses in here?" or "I need to go exchange some gasses."

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  5. Re:Sharkpedo! by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 2

    I think "Sharknado" might be more compelling if those sharks also had explosives strapped to their heads...

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    #DeleteChrome
  6. And this is odd because why? by davidwr · · Score: 2

    Within the realm of military research, this doesn't seem far-fetched.

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    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  7. Re: Sharks don't breathe by Calydor · · Score: 2

    Immature misunderstanding of how surprise buttsex works.

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  8. Meanwhile ,the Army ... by PPH · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... is working on a land shark.

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    Have gnu, will travel.
  9. Re:Sharks don't breathe by Deadstick · · Score: 2

    I'll see your pointless pedantism and raise you pedantry.

  10. Re:Bad idea by Deadstick · · Score: 2

    Imagine sharks with live ordinance

    Ummm, "shark with ordinance" would seem to describe a lawyer.